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2018 Map of Blanchard Island

Name: 2018 Topographic Map of Blanchard Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2018
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2018

About this map

The Mississippi River forms the central spine of this landscape, dividing the riverfront of Fruitland in Iowa from the lowlands of Illinois. This 2018 update reveals a complex network of channels and chutes, including the Bogus Chute and Barkis Island Chute, which separate numerous river features such as Blanchard Island, Kilpeck Island, and Bogus Island. The interior of Muscatine Island is marked by agricultural development and drainage systems like Frieden Ditch and Hampton Ditch, reflecting the long-standing irrigation and land-management practices required in this fertile floodplain.

Genealogists and local historians will find several burial grounds preserved on both sides of the river, notably Island Cem near the Iowa shore and Reynolds Cem and Glancey Cem on the Illinois bluffs. Transportation and industry are evidenced by the Maas Airstrip and specialized land features like the Eagle Fill. The map documents the shifting boundaries where Muscatine Co and Louisa Co meet in Iowa, across from Rock Island Co and Mercer Co in Illinois.